


Unlikely Loves

by YunaRey



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Eventual ReyFinn, Family, Fluff, Force Ghosts, Friendship, More Characters Show Up Eventually, general cuteness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-19 15:32:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5972059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YunaRey/pseuds/YunaRey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey was afraid to admit that despite what everyone thought, it was not her parents she was waiting for on Jakku. </p>
<p>[Ficlets of Ghost!Anakin and Ahsoka taking care of Rey and the years afterward. Not in chronological order.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not much is explained but in every chapter you will receive more information and backstory so don't worry if you're confused about something. It will be answered eventually. I hope you all enjoy this (: Comments are appreciated!

* * *

  _good things come to those who wait_

* * *

 

Ahsoka was not ashamed to admit she made many mistakes in her life. She dealt with the consequences; the good, the bad, the downright nasty. She atoned for her sins at least.

"I can't believe the latest planet you chose is one full of sand."

She was absolutely positive that for whatever she did in the past, she surely did not deserve this.

This had been happening for a Standard month now but it felt like more than a couple of years in her opinion. Not like her opinion ever mattered to anyone anymore. She hadn't commanded a squadron for a very long time and it was rather sad that a ghost was her first companion in a while.

On her way to pushing sixty years old, she was convinced that her heart would give out in a matter of days.

"Please stop speaking." Ahsoka sighed softly as she pulled out her electrobinoculars. Her patience became as thin as her old bones she liked to say.

A scoff came from behind her, "did you think this would make me leave?"

"No." She answered almost immediately as she surveyed the never ending land in front of her. She could see a graveyard of ships in the distance and it meant she was close.

The voice faltered, "then why are we here?"

Ahsoka's lips twitched as she placed her electrobinoculars back in her satchel, "for parts. _Silver Tempest_ isn't exactly in good shape after our visit to Bespin." She motioned for the person behind her to follow before she slid down the sand dune.

"I still can't believe you were able to steal a _Sith Infiltrator_ —" he snorted for he knew she was capable of taking at least two. He also thought the name sucked for that matter.

She knew his silent opinion about her ship. "We are not changing the name." Ahsoka said sharply as she adjusted her goggles. Despite having them for years, they were still slightly big for her face.

A blue tinted hand attempted to stop her but she simply walked through it, "I think _The Skywalker_ is a great name." He sounded offended yet amused.

"I am not naming my ship after you, Anakin." She did stop this time and turned around to face him. The smirk on his young face did nothing but irritate her. He hadn't aged a day while she was here almost at death's doorstep.

Anakin Skywalker appearing to her as a Force Ghost had been one of the worst things to happen. And she included her expulsion from the Jedi Order. Perhaps his haunting was not above it, but it was definitely high up on the list with the other god awful things that took place in her life.

The Force had something against her and she wanted to know what.

"You'll come around." Anakin shrugged one shoulder and walked past her.

She knew that there was a double meaning to his words. She hadn't exactly forgiven him which made their relationship slightly awkward and strained. But it was rather hard to forgive a former Sith who was the reason most of the vision in her left eye was gone.

Ahsoka watched him walk away before she cleared her throat.

"Do you have any idea as to where you're going?"

"Not a clue, Snips."

At a time like this, Ahsoka would have gladly punched him in his smug face. But her first attempt at giving him a black eye went horribly wrong when she flew through him and landed face first.

Now she knew better. Ahsoka didn't like to talk about what happened on Ophuchi.

"Don't call me Snips." She grimaced and walked with quick steps to go ahead of him. The less she had to see his face, the better. She could handle his voice for now.

They walk in silence after that since Anakin was smart enough to realize he was not her favorite person at the moment. Even if he would like to be, he needed to work for it.

When they reach the Graveyard of Ships, Ahsoka practically grinned from lek to lek as she stared at the heaven in front of her.

"Is that a Star Destroyer?" Anakin stood beside her as he stared at the ruined ship. "It's almost unrecognizable."

"I like it better dead in the sand than flying in the darkness of space." Ahsoka said quietly and resumed her trek. She noticed a discarded staff to her right and she picked it up to use it as a walking stick.

He acted like he didn't hear her.

"I forget you're old." Anakin murmured quietly as they searched for whatever it was Ahsoka seemed to be looking for.

"Forgive me for aging a few years once I saw your lovely face." She drawled sarcastically and refrained from hitting him with the staff. It would have been futile.

He laughed softly. "Glad to know your humor survived our crash landing."

" _Our_ crash landing? I'm the only pilot since you're dead and I certainly didn't crash." She rolled her eyes and pointed her walking stick to a Star Destroyer nearby that looked to be still fully intact. They would find what she needed there if scavengers haven't gotten to it first.

"Once my padawan, always my padawan." Anakin rubbed the back of his neck as he stopped at the large hole Ahsoka was attempting to climb through. "You go inside. I'd rather not…" he trailed off and cleared his throat.

He commanded these ships once, and he did not wish for the memories to return.

"I understand, " she nodded and looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes. "Try not to get into trouble while I'm gone."

Even if he was dead, she didn't trust him.

He gave her a playful salute in response.

Ahsoka took a deep breath as she walked through the large ship, feeling uneasy as she heard her footsteps echo. It was almost like the dead crewmen were walking alongside her still preparing for war.

"Just find undamaged power cells, that's all I need." She said to herself and rubbed her right arm to soothe her anxiety. She would have go through the living quarters before she could reach the power cells.

The staff quivered slightly in her grip and she sighed in irritation. She was ashamed to admit she was still afraid of the Empire.

Eventually Ahsoka found a destroyed lift and silently hoped her bones wouldn't decide to break as she climbed it.

Her hips felt sore once she reached the top and soft spoken swears tumbled out of her mouth. Never again would she do that. She then looked down the shaft she climbed and pursed her lips in regret. She left her walking stick down there.

A loud noise startled her out of her self-loathing and she whipped around with one hand on her left lightsaber. "Who is there? Show yourself!" she would take both of her weapons out if she had to.

Out of all the things she expected, a small seven year old girl dragging a net with just the right amount of power cells in it was not one of them. The three buns at the back of her head were oddly adorable and Ahsoka tried not to coo.

"I-I'm sorry." The little girl bowed her head and tightened her grip around her net. "Please don't hurt me."

"I'm," Ahsoka paused before she bit her lip and went down on one knee, "I'm not going to hurt you. What are you doing here in a place like this?"

"Unkar Plutt says I can't have any food if I don't bring back junk." The little girl refused to make eye contact and she looked to be almost in tears.

Ahsoka felt as if her heart was ripped out of her chest and buried underneath the sand.

"What is your name?" Ahsoka asked gently and even smiled. Something she regularly did not do.

"Rey." Rey picked at the string she wrapped tightly around her right hand. Her fingers were almost as red as a sunset.

"Nice to meet you, Rey. I'm Ahsoka." Ahsoka touched her own chest and nodded once.

"Can I go now?" Rey blurted out and blushed when she realized how rude she sounded.

"Were there any other power cells?" Ahsoka clenched her fist behind her back, not wanting to frighten the girl more than she already was.

"No, these were the last ones." She brought her net closer to her.

Ahsoka stood up slowly and tapped her chin, "what if I give you better junk in exchange?"

Rey regarded her with a suspicious stare. "Better junk? Like what?"

Ahsoka knew she was going to regret this. Once Anakin found out, he would surely scold her nonstop for days.

That thought oddly made her want to complete the trade even more.

"This." She unhooked one of her lightsabers and threw it at Rey, which she fortunately caught. "It'll get you a lot of food." In the near future, she could replace it. Or at least try to.

Ahsoka didn't have the funds to buy parts for her ship anyways. Trading with Rey seemed better than going to the nearest Outpost.

"What is it?" Rey stared at it in wonder and almost pushed the button.

"Don't!" Ahsoka said harshly. She winced when Rey took a step back in fear. "This Unkar Plutt will know what it is. It is a very valuable weapon. But I need those power cells, Rey." She held out her hand expectantly.

Rey hesitated before she pushed the net in front of her.

A success.

Anakin blinked at the sight in front of him when Ahsoka returned faster than he thought she would. A couple of times he considered going in after her when he became bored in a matter of minutes.

"Congratulations?" he openly stared at the little girl in her arms before his gaze glanced down to the net she was dragging. It carried her walking stick and power cells.

"What are you talking about?" Ahsoka frowned as she climbed out of the hole with Rey securely in her grip.

"When you said you needed parts, I had no idea you'd come back as a mother." Anakin mirrored her frown.

Ahsoka almost dropped Rey when a loud laugh escaped past her lips. She slightly stumbled to the right as her shoulders shook and her stomach ached. It was a genuine laugh that she hadn't produced in years. The sound was almost foreign to her ears and Ahsoka wondered if it was truly her that laughed. And because her eyes were closed, she missed the awed looks coming from both Anakin and Rey.

That day on Jakku she gained a family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments, kudos, and bookmarks! Here's the next chapter (:

* * *

  _family means no one gets left behind_

* * *

 

Despite walking away from the Jedi Order, Ahsoka still felt like she followed its teachings someway or another. Especially when it came to not having attachments. She hadn't formed any since her time with the Rebels and she was amazed at how long she managed to last.

Everyone knew Togrutas couldn't survive on their own.

"You can't catch me, Ani!" Rey laughed as she ran around the AT-AT they— _ **she**_ _, as in Rey and Rey only_ —called home.

Out of all the people for Ahsoka to become attached to it had to be the little girl waiting for her parents on Jakku.

"I'm an old man, Rey," Anakin said dramatically as he half jogged after her with a bright smile on his face. "Give me a break."

Unfortunately, Anakin loved her too. Rey also made the mistake in trusting them so easily.

"Force." Ahsoka swore under her breath as she dragged a hand down her face. She grew older by the second the longer they stayed.

They assisted in getting Rey food and teaching her self-defense with the staff Ahsoka found. Anakin wanted her to know everything and anything about piloting and machinery. It was the least they could do for her since Rey gave Ahsoka back her lightsaber and went without rations for a couple days. They've stayed for a Standard month already and her _Silver Tempest_ was set to fly whenever.

They just had to say goodbye first.

Ahsoka leaned back against the AT-AT and closed her eyes. She needed to talk to Anakin about their current situation and she knew her former Master wouldn't give Rey up so easily. But neither of them were the best guardian material for a girl who needed the love from her parents. As much as they could try, they could never be the people Rey wanted.

Contrary to popular belief, Anakin believed she'd make a great grandmother. Ahsoka almost punched him for that comment.

"'Soka! Don't let him catch me!"

Ahsoka grunted when the seven year old girl launched herself into her arms with her screeches as her only warning. Rey grabbed the edges of Ahsoka's poncho and hid herself underneath it. Ahsoka snorted as the girl buried her face into her shirt and tightly held wound her legs around her waist.

"Hey, Snips." Anakin playfully scratched his scalp. "Where's Rey?"

"I have no idea." Ahsoka responded with a straight face as Rey giggled.

The obvious large lump shaking underneath Ahsoka's poncho made it hard for the two former Jedi to stay in character. Ahsoka mentally patted herself on the back when Anakin became the first one to laugh.

"Rey, he knows you're in there." Ahsoka chuckled and lifted the poncho to the reveal the red faced girl. She had to refrain from pinching her rosy cheeks in adoration.

"How come you don't play tag with us, 'Soka?" Rey climbed down from her lap and dropped onto the sand. She rested on her knees and laid her head on the side of Ahsoka's thigh.

Ahsoka grunted and gestured to herself with her right hand nonchalantly. "I'm elderly."

"You don't look really old." Rey tilted her head back to look up at her. "Ani says he's one thousand years old but I don't think that's true."

"You told her you were a thousand years old?" Ahsoka's right white marking lifted in surprise.

The look Anakin shot her made her realize her mistake.

Oh.

"Yeah, it's why I'm all blue." He gave them a strained smile.

 _Oh_.

Rey's face suddenly became crestfallen. "So when Ahsoka gets old like you, I can't hug her anymore?"

Anakin and Ahsoka shared a wince. They should have seen that coming.

"Think of it this way," Ahsoka said carefully as she noticed Rey's middle bun became loose. "That won't happen for a while so you can hug me as much as you can until then."

The two sighed in relief when Rey beamed brightly and sat still as Ahsoka's fingers fixed her hair. Ahsoka noticed the warm look Anakin gave Rey and she bit her tongue to refrain from calling him out.

Saying goodbye would be much harder than they thought. Ahsoka wondered if she was able to drag a kicking and screaming ghost into her ship.

Times like these she really needed Obi-Wan.

Come to think of it, she didn't really know if he was still alive or not. The thought made her anxious and she slightly shifted as she stared at nothing in particular. The thought of Obi-Wan being dead didn't sit right with her.

A blue hand waved in front of her vision.

"Snips."

She ignored him. He knew she didn't like being called Snips.

" _Ahsoka_. Rey's asleep."

Ahsoka blinked in mortification at the way she held Rey close to her chest and cradled her head, mindful of the buns. She did not register how long she had been sitting there and she slowly looked up at Anakin.

"We need to leave right now." She picked up Rey and went into the AT-AT to place her on the makeshift bed.

Anakin grimaced as he watched her, "what?"

"Right now as in immediately." Ahsoka hissed and grabbed her lightsabers out of the sand once she tucked Rey in. "We've stayed far too long. We need to go."

"Go where exactly?" he asked as he followed after her.

"Far away from here." She wanted to disappear before Rey woke up.

Ahsoka didn't think she'd leave if Rey told her not to.

Anakin stopped and shook his head, "we can't just leave Rey. She's only seven!"

How a little girl managed to stop Anakin from leaving a planet full of sand was beyond Ahsoka.

"We aren't her parents!" Ahsoka whirled around and clenched her fist. "The more we become attached, the worse it gets. What if her parents get back and she doesn't need us anymore?"

It felt like another one of their arguments in the Clone Wars. Except she wasn't fourteen and his Padawan anymore.

"So you'd rather us leave her than her leave us?" Anakin pointed out with a small smile as he resumed his chasing. "It's okay to be afraid, Ahsoka. But Rey won't do that."

Ahsoka really wished she could force his mouth closed.

"So you stay with her." She pursed her lips and adjusted her goggles. "I'm leaving."

Good riddance.

"Have you forgotten that no matter how far you go, I will always appear at your side?" he said with mirth dancing in his eyes.

"I actually did." Ahsoka groaned and kicked a Rebel pilot helmet at her feet when she stopped walking. "The Force must really hate me."

There was no other explanation in Ahsoka's mind.

"Well I think the Force brought us to Rey. So we should take this opportunity." Anakin appeared in front of her and pointed back to the AT-AT. "If you can look her in the eyes and give her the goodbye you gave me at the Temple, we'll go."

Ahsoka inhaled sharply, "I can't _believe_ —"

"You leaving hit me hard, Snips." Anakin admitted with a small sigh. "Don't do the same to Rey, she adores you."

The hunch of Ahsoka's shoulders was a clear sign she gave up.

"Fine. We'll stay."

The smile on Rey's face when she woke up to see Ahsoka at her side may or may not have ripped the heart out of the Togruta's chest.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

  _you can find friends in the oddest of places_

* * *

 

Ahsoka was happy to say that as she grew older, her skin grew thicker. Which meant Anakin's insults no longer drove her up the wall.

Anakin scowled as he crossed his arms, "When I slashed your face I took away the vision of your left eye, but I had no idea I made you stupid too."

"Congratulations for hurting all three of my feelings, Anakin." Ahsoka said flatly as she placed the last of the power cells into the _Silver Tempest_. "But I can rest assure you that I'm not an idiot."

She had just returned from walking Rey back to the half destroyed AT-AT she lived in. It wasn't the best living condition but Rey reassured Ahsoka that it was home. Anakin made a small smart remark and at Rey's sudden head turn, the two wondered if she could see him. However she made no indication that she could nor did she respond to him, so the two left it alone.

"You traded your lightsaber to a seven year old kid." He gritted his teeth at how calm she was.

"I traded _one_ of my lightsabers." Ahsoka corrected him and adjusted her goggles once she was done with her work. Her ship came to life almost immediately and she grinned at her success. "And if you want to get off this planet, then I needed those power cells."

Anakin huffed. "And what if she ends up stabbing herself in the eye? If she dies, it's on you Snips."

"You're awfully concerned about a child you don't know and yet you've slaughtered younglings her age." Ahsoka snapped, the bitterness and anger oozing out of her voice and suddenly the argument became more personal than she'd like. "So who has more blood on their hands? Me or you?"

She covered her mouth once she realized what she had said but she made no move to apologize.

Stubbornness ripened with age.

"You're right." Anakin said tightly. "And I'm sorry."

He doesn't talk to her for a while after that. But Ahsoka did try to get her lightsaber back when realizing what she did _was_ rather stupid.

Something didn't sit right with her once she tried to leave Jakku without it and Ahsoka hoped she could buy it back from Unkar Plutt or whoever Rey sold it to.

After hiding her ship as best as she could, she set off to the Graveyard with her walking stick and an emotionally constipated Anakin following behind her. He briefly shot her a questioning look, not understanding why they were heading back but she ignored him.

When they reached the Star Destroyer from earlier, Ahsoka was shocked to see Rey's form standing by the large hole. As she got closer, she could see the anxiety on the little girl's face and Ahsoka's pace slightly became faster.

"Rey?" Ahsoka called out as she squinted.

The little girl's face brightened and she jogged up to the Togruta. "You two returned!"

"Two?" Ahsoka paled. "You can see him?" she pointed her thumb at Anakin.

Rey frowned as she looked between the both of them. Ahsoka became aware of her lightsaber in Rey's hand when the little girl began to fidget with it.

"Am I not supposed to?" Rey asked shyly.

"N-No, actually it's great you can see me." Anakin grinned and moved forward to kneel in front of her. "It means you're—"

Ahsoka hastily interrupted him, "Rey is there a reason you came back here?" the last thing she needed to deal with was a force sensitive child.

He gave her an annoyed look as he stepped back.

Rey blinked twice before she held out the lightsaber, "to give this back. I couldn't give it to Unkar Plutt. I can sense this means a lot to you."

"You hear that Snips? She _sensed_ it." Anakin drawled as Ahsoka grabbed her lightsaber.

Ahsoka honestly wanted to stab him.

It was the first words he said to her since their argument. Ahsoka wished he stayed quiet. Maybe if she ignored him hard enough, he would disappear.

An idea she'd been trying out since their unexpected reunion. With no success, unfortunately.

"Thank you for returning it to me, Rey. But how are you going to eat?" Ahsoka grimaced as Rey shrugged.

"I can look for other junk. There's a bunch of ships I can scavenge before the sunset." Rey said optimistically.

It was almost hard to watch.

"Why don't we help you?" Anakin suggested before Ahsoka could high tail it out of there.

Ahsoka couldn't get a single word in before they were somehow on the Executor-class Star Dreadnought _Ravager_. It was a shock that Anakin even entered it. His voice was hollow as he walked beside Rey, telling her the story of the once feared ship. Ahsoka refused to listen but she caught a name in the middle of their conversation.

Rae Sloane.

"Her name sounds like mine." Rey whispered yet it was pointless since her voice echoed through the large ship.

Anakin snorted, "it's a good thing you're nothing like her."

Ahsoka silently agreed. Anyone a part of the Empire was not on her friend list.

Anakin included.

After an hour of looking for junk pieces and Ahsoka almost becoming acquaintances with a large metal piece of the ship that resembled a spike, the three began their trek to Niima Outpost once Rey's net was filled.

"Are you two new to Jakku?" Rey asked as she walked in-between Ahsoka and Anakin.

"I visited once." Ahsoka.

A sudden memory of Ahsoka trying to find survivors from the Battle of Jakku invaded her mind and she pushed it away as hard as she could.

"Never been." Anakin.

He was already dead.

"You'll like it once you get used to the sand." Rey hummed. If she noticed Ahsoka's shoulders had become tensed, she didn't say anything. "I've only been here for two Standard years but it's the only home I know and remember."

"I _hate_ sand." Anakin groaned immediately.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and refrained from face palming. Here we go.

Rey laughed and shook her head, "I hate it too. It gets everywhere."

"See, Snips! She gets me!" Anakin pointed at Rey and looked as if he wanted to hug the girl.

"Glad to know we found your long lost clone, now let's go." Ahsoka inhaled deeply as she gave him a dry look. "The sun is setting and if I see another Star Destroyer, I'm going to scream."

Anakin crouched down to whisper into Rey's ear. "Grandma needs her nap."

"I heard that." Ahsoka snarled and swung her hand to hit him.

Out of instinct, he immediately stepped away to dodge the oncoming fist and he grinned as she stumbled.

Rey looked at the two with a delighted smile stretching her lips from ear to ear and she silently hoped her new friends would stay on Jakku with her.

Forever.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is shorter than the others because I did this in the middle of class but hey, look, it's even angsty haha. Comments are appreciated!

* * *

  _love grows best in little houses_

* * *

 

Someone once said home was where your heart was set in stone. It was where you go when you're alone and go to rest your bones. It was not where you lay your head nor where you make your bed. It was with the people you loved.

Ahsoka hoped they were full of shit. Because right now, her heart seemed to be drowning in quicksand instead. And there was no hope in getting out.

Well, there was no hope in Ahsoka leaving Jakku once one Standard year went by.

Rey was ten years old now.

"You are so _cute_." Ahsoka whispered into her palm as she stared at Rey wearing the Rebel Alliance flight helmet.

It was far too big for her and the only part of her face that showed was her mouth.

"She looks cuter than you were back then, Snips." Anakin chortled.

Ahsoka's white marking above her right eye raised slightly, "you thought I was cute?"

"In an annoying, loudmouth way." Anakin winked playfully.

He grinned when a random piece of metal flew threw him. It never ceased to amuse him when it came to riling her up.

Feeling an argument coming, Rey immediately took off the helmet and placed it in Ahsoka's lap. "Look, there's a name. Dosmit Ræh. Did you know her?"

Rey's face slightly fell at Ahsoka's head shake while Anakin stared at everything but them.

"Why don't we make up a story about her?" Ahsoka smiled awkwardly and tried to clean the sand off the helmet.

She tensely stared at her reflection in the visor before handing the helmet back to Rey. When she looked up, she saw Anakin's knowing stare and promptly avoided his gaze.

"Can she be from Tatooine?" Rey asked as she brought the helmet to her chest with a bright smile. "Like Ani?"

Anakin let out a loud snort.

"Why not?" Ahsoka shrugged one shoulder. "What else about her?"

Rey furrowed her brows in thought. "She had a mom and dad who loved her a lot. And they were proud she joined the Rebels."

There was a brief silence.

The million credit question was on the tip of Ahsoka's tongue.

"Rey," Ahsoka looked down at her feet as she cleared her throat, "do you miss _your_ parents?"

She nor Anakin would admit out loud that they did not want to hear the answer. Ahsoka believed herself to be expendable. She was old and no longer mattered. There was no Rebellion to assist or Empire to battle.

A soldier out of a job.

Rey briefly looked between the two before she set down the helmet on the ground and grabbed Ahsoka's hand with a shy smile. "Why would I miss them when they're right here?"

Her answer hit the two of them differently. Anakin bit his knuckle as he turned away, the emotional turmoil boiling in his chest was not foreign.

It was natural response when you realize you would die (again) for the person in front of you.

Ahsoka stared at her in shock, words unable to form out of her mouth. A small noise at the back of her throat seemed to be a good enough response for Rey since she happily wrapped her arms around Ahsoka's middle. Ahsoka bit her bottom lip as she stared at Anakin's back, wondering if the blurred sun was due to his transparent form or the tears in her eyes.

Ahsoka sighed softly and patted Rey's head, "we love you too, kiddo." She blinked away the tears as much as she could.

It was safe to say Ahsoka had no idea how to be a mom but she would learn. Even if she technically wasn't actually her mother or felt comfortable with taking the title, but if it was for Rey, she would do it.

Rey slowly pulled herself out of her arms to turn around and go to Anakin, who still refused to look at either of them.

"Ani?" Rey hesitantly walked up to him with her arms outstretched.

He turned around and clenched his fist, "I would really like to hug you, Rey, I'm—"

Ahsoka watched in awe as Rey wrapped her arms around his waist without issue. She didn't go right through him like the last time where Rey ended up on the ground with a mouthful of sand.

Ahsoka wisely did not comment as Anakin hugged her back with tears sliding down his cheeks.

After several seconds, Rey was unfortunately unable to hug him anymore.

Sometime later after their emotional hug fest that left Ahsoka questioning life as she knew it and Anakin thoroughly embarrassed but satisfied, Rey had found a containment of Rebel uniforms while on the search for junk. Their rations were dwindling despite gathering the most junk than any other scavenger at the Outpost.

Unkar Plutt hated Ahsoka as much as he didn't like Rey. The jerk.

While Anakin and Rey were far ahead chatting to each other about random things, Ahsoka discovered a small containment of Rebel uniforms. Thinking of Dosmit Ræh, Ahsoka decided to make a small doll for Rey since the helmet was far too heavy for her to carry around everywhere. Perhaps Rey would like to take Dosmit on adventures with her.

While coughing lightly Ahsoka bundled up the uniform and placed it in her net. It would be the perfect gift.

And she was right.

Anakin held his sides as he laughed when Rey practically tackled Ahsoka and peppered her with kisses as thanks. The Togruta was red from head to toe but she beamed in pride as Rey held the tiny doll close to her heart.

Dosmit Ræh became the fourth member of their family.


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

_it's hard to keep a promise_

* * *

When Rey was twelve, Ahsoka changed. Many times she would wake up in the middle of the night to find Ahsoka standing not too far from the AT-AT with her hands clasped behind her back while staring up at the stars. Anakin would be sitting on piece of a ship to her right, watching her with a guarded expression. No words were ever exchanged between the two of them and Rey ran back to bed once Ahsoka turned around.

That was how Rey knew they were going to leave her. Even if she habitually called them 'mom' and 'papa' (Ahsoka preferred 'grandma' while Anakin took his title with ease), perhaps it was fate that they were to disappear without a trace.

No one ever stayed with Rey for too long. However it was ironic that they would leave her after five years.

"Rey, have you fixed the speeder?" Ahsoka poked her head into the AT-T with a small smile on her lips. She always acted like something wasn't wrong but Rey knew better.

Rey nodded as she played with Dosmit while wearing her helmet. "Papa helped me before the sun set yesterday. He knows it's hard for you to travel without it."

"Good. We need to head to Niima soon for water."

Before Ahsoka left her to her own devices, Rey shot up and ran to grab her hand. Ahsoka blinked in surprise as she stumbled back slightly with one foot in the sand.

"What is it?" Ahsoka knew that look on Rey's face and she didn't like it.

"Promise me you'll say goodbye." Rey pleaded softly as she bit her bottom lip.

Anakin made himself known by laughing humorlessly, "told you she'd find out, Snips." He was leaning up against the AT-AT with his arms folded.

"So you are leaving." Rey sighed softly and let go of Ahsoka's hand.

Despite no longer touching her, Ahsoka still felt Rey's tight grip (around her heart).

"It's not like I want to." Ahsoka clenched her fist as her shoulders sagged. "It's no longer safe for me here."

Both of them ignored Anakin's scoff.

"What do you mean?" Rey asked with furrowed brows.

She would protect her mother no matter what.

Ahsoka's eyes were filled with sorrow. They were misty and full of tears that refused to fall.

"Another evil fills this galaxy." Ahsoka said quietly as she glanced at Anakin. Despite looking younger than she actually was, the weariness on her face reminded Rey she was in fact 63 years old. "I do not know its name but I have seen its horror within my visions."

Anakin snapped.

"I refuse to believe remnants of the Empire have been revived with the help of my _grandchild_."

Ahsoka saw the way his fingers twitched at his side and she was silently thankful he couldn't grab a lightsaber. She refrained from telling him that he would have had no idea he had a grandson unless it was for her visions. But in a way it was also slightly her fault that he was unable to visit his children.

But it wasn't like she _asked_ the Force to stick them together.

Ahsoka ultimately decided to not answer him.

"Listen to me Rey." Ahsoka said firmly as she moved a stray strand out of Rey's face. "I may be forced to leave you soon, but I— _we_ —shall return to you. But you must stay _here_ and out of harms way."

"But—" Rey protested.

"Can't we just bring her to Leia?" Anakin interrupted her with an apologetic look.

Ahsoka almost guffawed. "Your daughter will probably be smack dab in the middle of an oncoming war and you want to bring Rey to her? Not to mention it's her child that's out there killing people."

Anakin's mouth twisted in disgust. "I also refuse to believe a smuggler procreated with my daughter."

Rey scowled as she listened to the two, unable to understand what they were saying. She knew about Luke and Leia, imagined them as her actual siblings even. It was hard not to know about them with their father in her presence and the whispers at the Outpost. But she was absolutely clueless about any war currently happening or Leia having a son.

"Just promise you'll come back for me okay?" Rey looked at the both of them expectantly.

Ahsoka and Anakin answered without hesitation. " **I promise**."

They leave a Standard week after that. Rey awoke to a soft kiss pressed to her forehead and a whispered 'goodbye.' Ahsoka was scrambling to the _Silver Tempest_ that was hidden behind scattered star ship pieces with Anakin hollering after her during the dead of night. Rey couldn't make out what they were saying but she heard something about Stormtroopers and it made her uneasy.

Fear and loneliness gripped Rey's heart as she watched her family leave. The sight of the Sith Infiltrator flying into the sky and leaving Jakku haunted her for many nights. For seven years she was alone and unguided. She lost her parents for the second time. No Ahsoka to patch up Dosmit's stitches or Anakin to help her fix the speeder. No mom to nap with after a long day or a father who threatened to fight anyone who made her cry (Anakin attempting to beat up Unkar Plutt was absolutely hilarious). Her family dwindled to two people. But even Dosmit couldn't give her hugs like Ahsoka's.

That was the day her hatred for the First Order began.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit 114 kudos and more than 1000 hits. I LOVE YOU GUYS

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  _not all goodbyes are permanent_

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Ahsoka woke up before the sun rose and she was very, very irritated. Anakin was missing as usual, he always disappeared once it was midnight and Ahsoka wouldn't see him until after dawn broke. She guessed that ghosts needed their rest too. She wasn't able to go back to sleep so she slowly pulled herself free from Rey's tight grip and made her way out of the AT-AT.

She would never admit out loud that a night on Jakku was very beautiful.

Ahsoka yawned as she wiggled her toes in the cool sand. Her lek didn't pick up any nearby movements nor was there any disturbance in the Force.

A quiet, gentle night.

"Ahsoka."

Scratch that.

She went absolutely rigid, almost like a clone waiting for orders. Both of her eyes widened slightly and her lip began to quiver. Ahsoka blinked repeatedly and shook her head. "I'm dreaming."

" _Ahsoka_."

This was where she drew the line.

She bit her bottom lip, willing herself to not turn to the left and bawl like an inexperienced youngling. His voice alone almost brought her to her knees.

"Obi-Wan?" Ahsoka whispered as softly as she could. She was almost afraid that the ground beneath her feet would give out and take her away from the family she finally found.

"It's good to see you again, my young Padawan." His voice was light and happy as a breeze softly touched Ahsoka's left cheek.

"Since when was I your Padawan?" Ahsoka's mouth twitched slightly and she looked up at the dark sky.

Obi-Wan chuckled softly, "always, Ahsoka. Always."

There was a brief silence after that. Whether it was because Ahsoka had no idea how to respond or Obi-Wan decided to stand in front of her, neither knew.

"You haven't looked at me once." His face was young just like the last time she saw him before she walked away from the Order.

Ahsoka pursed her lips as she pointed to her left eye, "Anakin gave me a gift the last time we saw each other."

Obi-Wan's expression turned to stone as he regarded the glassiness of her eye. It wasn't particularly noticeable but once he saw the dark line that started from her eyebrow and stopped at her cheekbone, it was obvious that Ahsoka wasn't as lucky as Anakin when he received his scar from Ventress.

"He gave you a matching gift?" his lips quirked into a wry smile. "Did he try to take your left hand too?"

"I ran off before he could." Ahsoka answered sharply as her eyes narrowed. "I gave him a good slice on his thigh though."

They shared grins.

While Ahsoka's was more triumphant, Obi-Wan was filled with pride. It seemed that they both enjoyed seeing Anakin suffer as a consequence of his actions.

"I really am glad to see you after all this time, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan's voice was filled with unparalleled warmth. His eyes were soft and apologetic, wanting to repent for his mistakes that he did to her.

Ahsoka tried to calm the storm swelling within her chest as she looked at him fully. Despite only talking to him for several minutes she knew that a goodbye was going to happen soon enough. She reached out slowly and expected her hand to go right through his chest.

She nearly sobbed when her hand touched his overtunic.

Obi-Wan sighed as he placed his hand over hers, "I am truly sorry."

Ahsoka swallowed a whimper and shook her head.

"I'm sorry too, Master. I should have stayed, I should have—"

He smiled sadly as he gently pulled her hand off his chest and held it as if it would break any second. "Perhaps things would have turned out differently have you not left Anakin's side, I do agree. But maybe had you stayed, you would have never found your daughter." Obi-Wan inclined his head toward the AT-AT with a quirked brow.

Ahsoka flushed and spluttered like a failing engine.

"S-She's not," she cleared her throat as she pulled her hand back. "Rey? No, not really. I'm _old_ , Obi-Wan."

She recently turned sixty. She was a grandmother to ten year old Rey at best.

"It's never too late to have a family." He winked and turned away from her. "Had you stayed in the Order, you would have never got to experience this."

"You mean being forced into a bond with Anakin's ghost and becoming emotionally attached to an abandoned little girl?" Ahsoka snorted and shook her head."This life isn't perfect."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Maybe. But you're happy aren't you?"

Ahsoka closed her eyes as she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm happy."

When she opened her eyes, he was no longer there. Nothing was disturbed in front of her to even suggest that he was ever there. But a small breeze danced through her lekku as a feeling of familial love hit her like a missile.

_This goodbye isn't forever, Ahsoka._

Anakin returned when Jakku's sun was high in the sky. He stared blankly at Ahsoka who had two tear trails down her face but he wisely didn't say anything. He simply plopped himself down at her side and brought his knees to his chest.

"How did Obi-Wan die?" she asked weakly, her voice hoarse from hours of sobbing.

She wished the answer wasn't obvious.

Anakin looked up at the clear sky and blinked once.

"I killed him."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> something fluffy to atone all the angst lol

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_reuse good advice_

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Anakin watched in silence as Ahsoka taught Rey how to wield her walking st— _quarterstaff_. He would have preferred that Ahsoka showed Rey how to use a lightsaber but he realized Ahsoka's use of the Shien was more a version of her own now since she had been out of the Order for decades.

Besides, Rey seemed to be commanding her quarterstaff beautifully.

"That's it, Rey!" Ahsoka grinned at the eleven year old. "Just like that!"

It didn't last very long.

The sound of the quarterstaff hitting Rey right between her eyes sent Anakin to his knees guffawing while Ahsoka slapped a hand over her mouth to stop the loud snort. She cleared her throat before she moved the quarterstaff away from Rey and began to rub the red spot in between her brows.

"Are you alright?" Ahsoka inhaled sharply to keep from laughing.

It was proving to be a difficult task once Anakin began to wheeze. He was an awful father.

But it was so _funny_.

"I think so." Rey pouted as her eyes watered. "It just stings." She was clearly ignoring Anakin.

Ahsoka smiled and gave the red spot a kiss, "be more careful with the staff. That weapon is your life."

Her advice immediately sobered up Anakin and Ahsoka hadn't noticed the solemn look that passed over his blue face. But when she felt his sudden sorrow and the way it entered through her skin like poison, that was when she realized what she said.

"I understand," Rey picked up the staff and twirled it slowly. "Again?"

"Yes." Ahsoka cleared her throat after she shivered slightly. She shot a look at Anakin before fixing Rey's stance and her grip on the staff. "Keep practicing your strikes. Once I find a staff of my own, we'll work on defense."

Ahsoka moved several steps away from Rey once she started to whack the air mercilessly and clumsily. She took Rey's distraction as an opportunity to move to Anakin and she inclined her head.

"Was that remorse or nostalgia you decided to bathe me in through our bond, Skyguy?" she asked him flatly as she rubbed her arms. "Warn a person before you decide to sulk."

Anakin scoffed, "I'm not sulking!"

He was totally sulking.

"I get that Obi-Wan said those words to you but you said them to me too." Ahsoka shrugged as she turned her gaze back to Rey. "It's inevitable that we teach it to the next generation."

Anakin folded his arms, "don't reuse my advice."

That translated to 'Obi-Wan was a sore subject and I'm still not ready to talk about him.'

"Oh hush, it's good advice." She stopped herself halfway from trying to bump shoulders with him. It would have resulted with her sporting an identical red mark on her forehead. "Seeing as to how she's now _our_ daughter, I totally get the right to tell her."

Ahsoka felt a warmth in her heart once the words left her mouth. She softly rubbed her chest as she looked at her best friend.

"I thought you preferred to be her grandmother." He drawled and raised an eyebrow. "She's all of a sudden your daughter when you want to win an argument?"

Anakin: 1, Ahsoka: 0

Ahsoka flushed and whacked at his transparent form but it was more like swatting a flying bug. "Shut up! We aren't even arguing!"

His grin only widened and it started to irritate her.

"Mom, stop arguing with Papa." Rey called out over her shoulder as she stuck her quarterstaff into the sand. She wiped the sweat off her brow and went to retrieve her water bottle.

"See." Anakin said smugly. "That's my girl."

"I hope I don't see you when I die. I prefer Yoda." Ahsoka huffed and stomped her way back to Rey's side, suddenly feeling fourteen again. "And I wasn't arguing with Anakin!"

Anakin smiled softly yet sadly as she blatantly ignored him while she continued fixing Rey's flaws. He too hoped he didn't see her when she finally passed.

An Ahsoka without a beating heart was not an Ahsoka he wished to see. Even when he tried to kill her as Vader. In his mind, she would live forever. The galaxy would mourn for the passing of someone as great as she.

But the mere mention of Yoda made him bitter too. Why she would choose that green slime was beyond him. Plo Koon, on the other hand, was a better choice. But Yoda? He hoped she was joking.

"Anakin!"

He blinked repeatedly as Ahsoka's waving hand took him out of his thoughts. "What's the emergency, Snips?"

"You've been staring at me for a while." She gave him a weird look. "We're off to the Graveyard. We should scavenge some junk before the sun sets."

"On your order, my fearless leader." He playfully saluted.

Rey giggled from where she stood behind Ahsoka and saluted as well. Anakin beamed at her while Ahsoka rolled her eyes at their antics.

One of these days the two of them were going to be the death of her.

"Hey Rey, want to know about the time I totally beat Anakin in number of kills in the Second Battle of Geonosis?"

"That was a tie, Snips!"


End file.
